Large Eddy Simulation of a Reacting Kerosene Spray in Hot Vitiated Cross-Flow

The evaporation and combustion characteristics of a kerosene spray injected perpendicularly into a cross-flow of high-temperature vitiated air is investigated. This fundamental flow configuration has wider implications for the future development of ultra-low emission aeronautical combustors, particularly with respect to technologies involving MILD combustion. Large eddy simulations with a Eulerian–Lagrangian framework are performed to investigate the spray evolution and the characteristics of the reaction zone for a range of conditions. For the closure of turbulence-chemistry interactions at the sub-grid scales, a transported probability density function approach solved by the Eulerian stochastic fields method is applied. A configuration based on the use of airblast atomisation is assessed first and compared with experimental observations. The effect of the atomiser air-to-liquid mass flow ratio is studied in greater detail, both in terms of the resulting gas-phase properties and the droplet evaporation process. Then, the effect of ambient pressure on the global spray flame behaviour is examined. For this part of the study, no atomising air is included in the simulation to separate the effects of ambient pressure on the spray from the interaction with the air jet. Analysis of the flame and spray properties at cross-flow operating pressures of 1 atm, 2 bar and 4 bar highlights the strong coupling between the reacting flow and droplet evaporation characteristics, which are highly affected by the penetration of the spray into a flow field characterised by relatively large gradients of temperature. The results reported in this work provide fundamental understanding for the development of novel low-emission combustion technologies and demonstrate the feasibility of applying large eddy simulation with detailed chemistry for the investigation of reacting aviation fuel sprays in hot vitiated cross-flow.